Contact Relationship Management (CRM) is not new….it’s been an essential sales and marketing enabler for many years at a corporate level. But if you’re a small business you may consider a CRM as unnecessary. You might think that only companies with a large turnover, or a dedicated sales and marketing team, would use the complicated functionality. You may also be concerned that the return doesn’t justify the investment for a small to medium business.
However, here are the top 5 reasons why even small businesses need CRM:
- You’ve got contacts everywhere
You may have bought lists in the past; have a list of current clients in a spreadsheet; store contacts in Outlook/Google; use an online email marketing solution such as Mailchimp, or have a stack of business cards on your desk ….. too much of your time is spent trying to find the phone number or email address of the interesting person you met somewhere ….. sometime in the last few weeks. We have all been there, in the end the easiest option is to say that you will look for it later and then kick yourself for not being better organised!
A cloud based CRM will enable you to record the contact details and set up a follow up task whilst you are out and about, you’ll never have to spend hours looking for that number again.
- You’ve not got much time on your hands for admin and a business to run
Running a business means all the jobs fall to you, even the ones that aren’t making you money. A CRM will help you run your business in a more efficient, organised way. It will free up headspace to spend on the areas which will generate more revenue and help you grow your business.
- You’ve still got to keep an eye on the pipeline
Understanding where opportunities are in the sales process helps you plan and manage forecasts – and keep the boat afloat. Understanding what actions need to be taken to convert the lead into a sale, and being reminded of those actions, will give you the best chance of keeping on top of things and winning the deal.
- Spreadsheets suck
Don’t get me wrong – I love spreadsheets, but they don’t work for keeping in touch with people and often there are just too many versions, stored in different places.
A CRM changes a 2 dimensional list into a 3 dimensional interactive tool, which can be played with like a Rubik’s Cube, allowing you to dice and slice your data any way you want.
- You can only remember so many things at once
Can you remember what you talked about the last time you spoke to a prospect? Some days we can’t even remember what we had to eat the day before or what we did at the weekend so trying to recall one of many conversations held during the previous week or month can be a nightmare! Make life easy for yourself and get some CRM help – keep a note of the conversation on the person’s record, and set up a task to call the person to follow up on the conversation – it’s as easy as that.
In conclusion, small businesses need CRM as much as enterprises, but not the same CRM – one that has been designed with the small to medium business in mind. One that is flexible and made to be a bespoke tool which reflects your business model and goals.
Just make sure you invest the time in thinking about how your processes work; populate it with your clean and enhanced data; and learn how to use it – so it becomes part of your day to day business life.
You never know it could just be a life changing experience for you (and your growing business).
I have been working with CapsuleCRM for over 6 years and helped many clients increase revenue; reduce costs; make the most of their contacts; manage their pipeline; and deliver great customer service.
I do this by designing and installing Capsule to meet the needs of the client, offering a bespoke CRM to suit their business requirements. Capsule really is a great solution for the small business.
To find out more or arrange a time to discuss how I can help your business please email me on julia.blake@blakeconsultants.co.uk or visit my website www.blakeconsultants.co.uk